Shattered Innocence Ch. 24

"See!" Charlie gestures to the glowing orb to the council that had shown Angel Dust marking off every box on Adam's list. "A soul can be redeemed. It's possible. He checked off everything."

Adam glances around and finds everyone staring at him. "Then, uh, why isn't he here?"

"That's…" Charlie looks up at the tall woman with six wings. "That's a good question."

The woman refused to acknowledge the question despite every angel looking to her for guidance.

"Wait!" Vaggie steps up. "You don't know how an angel gets to heaven," the eyepatch glares as all she receives was silence.

The Princess' horns sprout for a moment. "That's not fair, Sera! I've gone through all this trouble to prove that a soul can improve, and you won't acknowledge it just because you have no idea," Charlie hops down from her podium and rushes to the orb and touches it. "I just want to show that this…"

Sera's eyes widen. "Stop!"

Images of the horrors of Extermination appear on the orb and the angels are in an uproar at the sight.

"That this is unnecessary!"

The High Seraphim has no idea what to do. Heaven is not supposed to find out. They were never to know about this. And she went through a lot of trouble to prevent it.

"Child of the Morningstar. There is a lot you don't know."

"There seems to be a lot you don't know either," Charlie then gestures to the entire court. "There's a lot that they don't know either," she then turns to Vaggie with a small smile. "I was once told that I could not trust and angel."

"By her?" Adam laughs as he and Lute flies towards the eyepatch woman. "Don't you know that—"

"My girlfriend was an Exorcist," the Princess crosses her arms.

"Uh…"

"Yeah, she told me. And where it hurt that she hid it from me but I'm more than willing to look past it. Especially given how she Fell," Charlie places her hands on the orb again this time showing, Vaggie as she spared a demon child just before getting her eye stabbed and wings cut off.

Adam's eyes widen. "Oh, sh(bleep)!" and flinches at his name.

"Adam!" Sera turns to glare. "Your report stated that your former lieutenant was discharged for actively attacking another Exorcist unprovoked. There was nothing about her being punished for showing mercy."

"Uh, well, I, uh. Look! The b(bleep)ch would have ruined everything if I didn't teach her a lesson."

"What lesson!?" Charlie shouts while gesturing to the orb that now has the princess herself bandaging the injured angel. "That there can be good in Hell while you show that there's bad here in Heaven?"

"Enough!" Sera snaps as her many eyes glare at the blond. "I will not have you speak of defamation! You have proven nothing, Child of the Morningstar. Nothing you show here does not change anything. I will not have you disrupt the natural order. Just as your father had."

"It's just like my dad said," Charlie looks down. "You are stubborn. I guess Emily was right about you."

That catches the High Seraphim's attention. "What?"

Everyone was confused at the comment.

Adam turned to Sera, "What does your missing sister have to do with this?"

Once again, the Seraphim refused any acknowledgement.

"Oh, god!" Charlie stares in disbelief. "They don't know! Emily is—"

"This court is no longer in session," with a wave of her hand, Sera sent the Princess of Hell and the former Exorcist through a portal, catching the entire court off guard. "You are all dismissed!"

With that, everyone departs the room. That is, everyone except for Sera. The Leader of Seraphim approaches the orb. Ever since Emily Fell, Sera had refused to check up on her sister in fear that she would change her mind.

Once the orb was activated, she is met with the confusing sight of Emily laying on a hospital bed with a raised shirt to reveal a slightly extended belly getting an ultrasound with a Sinning Woman next to her.

.oOo.

"There they are," the large ear doctor says at the repetitive beating. "The baby is perfectly healthy."

Emily smiles as she can feel herself tearing up. "They sound beautiful."

"Heard that from many first-time mothers back in the day. It's the sound they make after their birth that gets them to reconsider the choice. Now then," the doctor takes out small notepad. "Considering you're about three months late, I'm going to write you up a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. Just to help things along. I've also already scheduled your next checkup."

"Thank you, Dr. Drums," Emily accepts the note. "Guess I'll see you then."

"I look forward to it, Emily. Now, then. Would you like to know the sex?"

.oOo.

The mother and daughter enter the penthouse.

"Clara! Odette!" Carmilla shouts. "We're home!"

The spectacled Carmine enters the room. "How was the visit?"

"It was great!" Emily hops in place. "We're having a boy!"

"Congratulations, Emily," Odette walks up to her sister for a hug.

Carmilla smiles at her daughters but easily takes note of one thing. "Where's Clara? Thought she would want to know."

"She… went out. Something about meeting a friend."

The matriarch releases a questionable hum. "Which is code for, I'm dating someone I may not approve," the woman rolls her eyes. She then notices Emily looking down at her belly with worry. "Odette. Would you mind preparing some tea?"

Odette looks between her mother and sister and understands the code. "I will get right on it, Mom," and leaves the room.

"Emily," Carmilla leads the angel into the living room, and they take a seat on the couch. "What's on your mind?"

The seraphim sighs. "This is all scaring me. I mean, I never really thought about becoming a mother before," she then wraps her arms around her abdomen. "Then there's the idea of what to do after they're born."

"Does the gender unnerve you?"

"Not really," Emily shakes her head. "It's not like was their fault what happened to me. Besides! It's not like it would be their choice how they were born as."

"Then do you wish to give the child up?"

"Actually," the angel glances up at her mother. "I, I kind of want to keep them."

"What is the matter then?" the Arms Dealer gently takes her daughter's chin so that she would face her. "If you truly wish to be a mother then keep the child."

"It's not that easy," Emily turns away. "What if I don't love them? What if I can't love them? Is it even possible for me to love them?"

"It's not impossible, Emily," the mother pulls her into a hug. "That child can be loved by you."

Emily then pulls away. "Mom, I trust you. You've been with me since after I was found, and I love you for that. But how can you know for sure? I'm, I'm…" she takes a deep breath as this is the first time admitting what she's been through. "I'm pregnant because I was raped."

.oOo.

Sera backs away from the orb with her mouth covered, horrified by what she heard. The High Seraphim knew that her sister needed to be punished but not once had she expected that would happen. Emily, the Seraphim of Joy, was defiled in such a cruel way by the damned.

As the Leader of Heaven, Sera is not to make mistakes. She's not supposed to. And as the High Seraphim she has to correct this.

.oOo.

"My dear child," Carmilla raises her daughter's head once again. "The proof is in Odette."

At first, Emily titled her head as she didn't understand what her sister had to do with this. Then her eyes widen in realizations. "Mom. You were… are you saying…"

"How do you think I know exactly how you are feeling?" she confesses.

There was then the sound of glass shattering and clanging. Turning to the source there stands the spectacled Carmine and at her feet is a tray and pieces of what used to be teacups.

Emily rarely sees her sister with anything other than a neutral expression and when she does show something different, it's usually so subtle that anyone who doesn't know her would miss it. What the angel sees in her eyes right now is horror.

"I'm… I was, I was a rape baby?"

Carmilla shots up out of her seat. "Odette? You were never supposed to know?"

"How could you not tell me this!?" she shouts at her mom for the first time. "Is that why you're so much harder on me than Clara? You love her more than me?" the spectacled girl is silenced as she was slapped.

"Not once have I ever treated you any differently than your sister. Ever!" the Matriarch glares. "I've always loved you. How you were conceived does not change that! I love you girls all the same," she briefly turns to Emily before facing Odette again. "All of you. Now when it does feel like I'm harsher on you than Clara that's because I know for a fact you're the responsible one. I'd rather you keep your sister out of trouble than follow her into it," Carmilla then sighs. "I love the fact that you would have your sisters back. But I do wish that you would not help them with something dumb like hiding the fact that Clara snuck one of her dates into her room."

Hearing that last part, Odette's eyes widen and as a result her mother pinches the bridge of her nose before heading down the hall.

Carmilla immediately throws Clara's bedroom door open.

"Mom!?" Clara screams. There was the puffy-haired Carmine setting on her bed wearing a driver's hat next to a three eyed sinning woman, both covering themselves with the blankets.

The matriarch glares at her daughter, glances up at the driver's hat, then over at the worrying sinner.

With a sheepish smile, Clara removes the hat and places it on the sinner's head.

The now mostly dressed Sinner is then tossed out of the penthouse. She turns to the Carmine, "Does this mean I'm fired?" but receives a door slam as the answer.

Carmilla walks back into the living room where all three of her daughters are, with Clara wearing her robes.

"How many times have I told you not to bring in one of your lovers without my consent?"

The puffy-haired Carmine looks away. "Eighty-three."

"That's eighty-two times too many!"

"I know," Clara sighs. "Look, I know you're mad at me but please don't fire Sy."

The matriarch glares. "And why the Hell should I not?"

"I, uh, I might actually like this one."

Carmilla narrows her eyes before taking out her phone. "Tooth! Inform Ms. Symone that she will be taking paid leave for two weeks. As for a temporary driver," she turns to the eldest sister. "I already have that covered," then hangs up. "As punishment, Clara, not only am I cutting your allowance you are going to be the personal chauffeur for not only I but also your sisters. If you are to be outside of the penthouse it better be with one of us. Am I clear?"

Clara looks down. "Yes, Mom."

"Good! And after this is over and you're serious about Ms. Symone, please call her in so that I can properly meet her."

That brightens up the eldest child.

"No matter how upset I may get at you, any of you," Carmilla eyes Odette. "I love you girls and nothing you do or how you came into my life will change that," she then pulls all three her daughters into a hug.

"I want this," Emily tells them.

Carmilla pulls away with a raised brow. "What was that, Dear?"

"I want this," she places a hand over her belly. "To be a mother who would love their child unconditionally. Just like the best mother I know."

At that, the matriarch smiles. "Does this mean you're keeping him?"

With a soft smile of her own. "I think it does," she is once again embraced by her mother.

"I've always wanted to be a grandmother," Carmilla confesses. "But I had to give up on that idea after arriving in Hell."

"Hold on!" Clara walks up to them. "Did you say, him?"

"Yeah," the seraphim smiles. "You're going to have a nephew."

"Yes!" the oldest sister hugs the youngest. "I'm going to be the best auntie ever!"

Odette then decides to interject. "Depends how you define the best."

Clara then snaps at the spectacled sister. "And what does that mean?"

"If you mean the irresponsible fun-loving aunt? Then yes. You would be the best," Odette then boasts. "But as the good dependable aunt who ensures her nephew is taken good care of. I would be the best."

As the two started bickering, Carmilla leads Emily into the kitchen. "How about a snack, Emily? I'm guessing something with pickles?"

"You have no idea how great that sounds, Mom."

NOTE: This may be the last update for awhile as I'm about to head out on vacation. I'll most likely check up on FanFic but no new chapters for anything as of yet.